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Etna Harley-Davidson dealership nears vote

Larry Fugate, Correspondant
Published 2:00 a.m. ET Feb. 22, 2017

Etna Township officials could be moving closer to voting on a proposal that could relocate a Harley-Davidson dealership from Pataskala to the township.(Photo: File photo)

ETNA - A multi-use development featuring a Harley-Davidson dealership as its anchor appears to be inching closer to a vote.

The Etna Township Board of Trustees originally held a public hearing on Jan. 21 to consider a rezoning involving the motorcycle dealership.

They continued the hearing, however, so the applicant could get more information about several issues, one involving signage for the development. The continuation also provided the trustees with time to seek input on the proposal from the Licking County Prosecutor's Office.

The follow up hearing was supposed to be held on Feb. 7, but that was before the county shut down about 1,000 computers due to a ransomware cyber attack.

Now, the trustees have tentatively moved the rest of the hearing to their March 7 session.

"The prosecutor's office had not reviewed (the zoning) yet due to the hacking issues the county has," said attorney Steve Cuckler.

Cuckler works for a Columbus and Delaware law firm that is acting as legal counsel for the project. He had hoped the trustees could hold the continued hearing at the Feb. 18 session, but the county's computer system had only been operating a few days prior to the scheduled hearing. That prompted the trustees to cancel the meeting. Cuckler said he expects the issue will be back on the docket of the March 7 trustees' session. The meeting will be held at 7 p.m. at the Etna Township Community Center on Liberty Street.

The Harley-Davidson proposal calls for the relocation of the dealership that currently is located at 12477 East Broad St. in Pataskala. With the location change, the store's 30 to 35 full-time and part-time employees would move to a new 13.8 acre-site standing on the northwest corner of the Ohio 310 and Interstate 70 interchange. The actual location is behind the McDonald's restaurant, giving the dealership more visibility from the interstate.

Under the proposal, there would be a Harley-Davidson motorcycle museum featuring enshrined mementos and photos of motor-sport icon riders and their championship feats.

Bob Athoff, owner of A.D. Farrow Partnerships (The namesake owners of the Pataskala store and two others in Columbus and Sunbury) said that in addition to the dealership and museum, he hopes to build two sit-down restaurants on the property. The announcement of the restaurants is the first to take advantage of a new economic district at the busy intersection. Voters approved the district, with the knowledge it could entice more upscale dining establishments to locate in the township by offering liquor permits for in-house beer and wine consumption.

Southwest Licking Community Water and Sewer District has asked the owner if it is possible for a new water tower to be located on a distant corner of the lot. Athoff is open to the idea to accommodate the township's water needs but ground samples have to be taken to see if the property can bear the load of multiple buildings and a water tower.

In the past, most zoning hearings held by the trustees are assigned to begin at 7:15 p.m. at the Tuesday meetings. However, the township has not yet prepared the agenda for the March 7 session.